January 22, 2015, 8:39AM

It was once a popular teaching technique in high school family living classes to give each student a doll, or a bag of flour or an egg to carry around, day and night, for a couple of weeks. The idea was to impress on the kids how much time, attention and work is required to take care of a... Full story »

January 21, 2015, 11:52AM

She fanned out my choices like a deck of cards, different recipe options for dinner that all sounded fabulous. I was staying with my friend Melissa up at her cottage in Northern Michigan, and we were famished after a day of visiting wineries and shopping the Suttons Bay Art Fair. We settled on chickpea burgers, and after mashing them... Full story »

January 21, 2015, 10:48AM

This is the one, the column certain to bring down the wrath of the PETA people. PETA, for those of you just visiting our planet, stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. (Which, technically, should be PFTETOA, but that makes for a lousy, difficult to pronounce acronym.) I'm generally an animal lover myself, by which I mean... Full story »

January 14, 2015, 12:04PM

The annual weight-loss frenzy is now in full swing, with all kinds of businesses promising to remake you in their image. Speaking as one who has lost a lot of weight over the past 15 years, I caution you: think twice before you write the check and buy the workout clothes. Over the years I've learned to substitute grilled... Full story »

January 14, 2015, 11:30AM

If I were smarter I would have come up with this first, but a Swedish taxi company beat me to it: psychotherapy taxis. You read that right. Shrinks in a cab. Stockholm — as you may already know — is filled with Swedish people. These Swedish people are quiet, introverted and slow to form meaningful relationships. Because of this,... Full story »

January 13, 2015, 1:14PM

What could be better on a cold winter's day than a bowl of soup? If you're tired of the same old standbys, try a different take with Cheesy Potato Florentine Soup. It has a 10-minute prep time and a 20-minute cooking time. This is a fix-it-and-eat-it soup – there's no need for a daylong process. Another fast-to-fix meal is... Full story »

January 08, 2015, 9:59AM

The Super Bowl, one of the nation's largest sporting events, is fast approaching and with it, lots of Super Bowl parties. There are so many things you can bring to a party, but the one Super Bowl party staple is wings. For a long time, when people thought of wings, they thought of the traditional Buffalo style, when you... Full story »

January 08, 2015, 1:40AM

We loaned our spare car to a friend who needed transportation to and from his job until he could get his own car. One evening about suppertime we got a call from him saying the car had been hit, denting the driver side door. No problem. It was drivable. No one was hurt, and the car is long past... Full story »

January 07, 2015, 2:02PM

When I arrived home Thursday afternoon, there was a naked girl in my bathtub. I've always wanted to write that line, but other than a few unpublished letters to certain "gentlemen's magazines" back in the '70s, I've never had the chance. Now I do. Not only was there a naked girl in my bathtub, there were light-boxes, reflective umbrellas, expensive-looking... Full story »

January 02, 2015, 9:04AM

"Where's the Kleenex?" It's a question as common in our house these days as "What time is it?" "What's for dinner?" or "What's the phone number for the pharmacy?" Though there are six open boxes of disposable facial tissue in various places around the house, there never seems to be one within reach when you need one – which,... Full story »

December 30, 2014, 1:31PM

Something terrifying happened to me the other day. Something that shook to the foundations my views of myself, the world and life itself. I — brace yourself, because this is really scary — left home without my cell phone. No, really. I know it's hard to believe, but I swear it's true. I walked out the door, hopped in... Full story »

December 30, 2014, 9:38AM

As usual this time of year, New Year's resolutions are in place. Even if you're not dieting, you may be working out more, cooking healthier or reading labels to cook on the light side. On a cold, snowy winter's day, comfort food warms the soul, and the Three Cheese Chicken Pasta here has gotten a light makeover. Lots of... Full story »

December 24, 2014, 10:52AM

My friend Abby has a wonderful stone path that leads through her herb garden, and between the stones are planted low growing thymes. As you make your way through the path, fragrances waft upward with each crushed leaf, a delightful experience. The same is true of cooking with thyme, because the succulent fresh leaves add tiny bursts of flavor... Full story »

December 23, 2014, 1:56PM

I've always had a tough time with Reality, especially Reality with a capital R. Too often, it simply doesn't coincide with my personal vision of how things should be. Or rather, how I would like them to be. Snow, for instance. In the imaginary universe in which I spend most of my time, snow doesn't exist. Here in my... Full story »

December 18, 2014, 12:29PM

Could this be the year? Maybe 2015 will be the year when I will actually create the master file of addresses I've been planning in my mind since before the days of the personal computer, and the contact information for everyone I know will be at my fingertips. Never again will I have to dig out a five-year-old day... Full story »